The DEA had asked FDA to recommend the Schedule II reclassification that would limit refills to a 90-day supply instead of the current five refills within six months, because of the potential for abuse.

“The restrictions may make it tougher for pain patients. In some states, nurse practitioners can’t write prescriptions for Schedule II drugs and many doctors aren’t willing to prescribe anything stronger than Schedule III”, said Edward Michna, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, and director of the Pain Trials Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

And just for comparison, cannabis a Schedule I substance.

[Wikipedia] Hydrocodone/paracetamol (also known as hydrocodone/acetaminophen, hydrocodone/APAP or under brand names such as Lortab, Norco or Vicodin) is a combination narcotic analgesic drug consisting of hydrocodone and paracetamol (acetaminophen) used to relieve moderate to severe pain.